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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25653592">Lover Come Back</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/midnight_cat/pseuds/midnight_cat'>midnight_cat</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Gravitation, Naruto</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst and Feels, Angst and Humor, Crossover, Drama, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fame Has Its Downside, Fan Turned Stalker, M/M, Not Canon Compliant, Shuichi's Had Enough, Work In Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 02:13:52</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>15,471</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25653592</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/midnight_cat/pseuds/midnight_cat</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Shuichi chooses to leave Yuki and Japan after the novelist concedes to Tohma's ultimatum that they break up. As Bad Luck joins with XMR in New York, they will team up with their new photographer to take the States by storm. But is danger lurking in the background, even as Yuki tries to win him back?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Shindou Shuuichi/Yuki Eiri, Uchiha Itachi/Original Female Character(s)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. We Don’t Take Hits, We Write Them</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><strong><em><span class="u">Disclaimer</span></em></strong>:<em>  I don’t own Gravitation, Naruto, or its characters.  All characters, excluding my OC, belong to Maki Murakami and Misashi Kishimoto.  No profit is being made from the writing of this story.</em></p><p>
  
</p><hr/><p>
  <strong> <em>“The hottest love has the coldest end.” – Socrates</em> </strong>
</p><p> </p><p>Tohma looked over at Shuichi as he sat on the couch.  He allowed no hint of his true feelings to show as he looked at the younger man.  “So, how did it go?  I want all the dirt on your excursion with Eiri-san!”</p><p>Shuichi glanced up at his boss, confused as to where the conversation was going.  Although, with it not being too long since Yuki’s release from the hospital, he couldn’t say he was too surprised.  “Really – uh, okay…!  It was fun.”</p><p>“That’s excellent.  It will make a nice memory for you.  I believe it will keep you from being lonely.”</p><p>Shuichi felt a pulse of alarm at Seguchi’s words.  Sure, the man was smiling, but he knew from experience that his smile hid a deadly surprise.  One that was just waiting to be unleashed like a spring-loaded trap on him.  Deciding to play along, he replied, “Yeah, I felt like I’d died and gone to heaven.”</p><p>“Well, now that it’s over, I forbid you from seeing Eiri-san <em>ever</em> again.”</p><p>Shuichi couldn’t help the widening of his eyes when he heard.  Anger started bubbling deep in his veins at once again having his life dictated for him.  For now, though, it was best to play the part of the fool to see how far things would go.  “Hey, wait a minute.  You actually had me going there, Seguchi-san.  Nice poker face.”</p><p>“I’m not joking.  I want you to disappear from Eiri-san’s life immediately.  You’re nothing but an intruder.  You may think that you have Eiri-san all to yourself, but dear, sweet Yuki belongs to me.  I’m sorry if you got the wrong impression.  If you insist on carrying on with this little charade, then I suggest you think very hard about to whom you owe the success of Bad Luck.”</p><p>Teeth grinding together, Shuichi fought to keep his temper under control.  <em>You fucking, sanctimonious son of a bitch!  I <strong>knew</strong> you’d bring that up.  Why am <strong>I</strong> the only one around here always taking shit because of Yuki?</em></p><p>The door to Tohma’s office slammed open, the only visible sign of Shuichi’s mounting anger, catching both Hiro and K off guard.  Shuichi stormed out of the office.  His head was lowered with a thick veil of bangs covering his eyes.  Although he couldn’t see his friend’s expression, Hiro quickly picked up on his darkening mood and steered him away from Tohma’s office.  Glancing back at K, he knew what the man was thinking.  K had a plan.  He was dead certain.  Whether it would be good or bad was still up in the air.  After successfully maneuvering Shuichi to the lobby, Hiro sat down on the couch next to his friend.  Shuichi just sat there silently.  His head was cradled in his hands, fingers pulling tightly at the pink strands.  It hurt him to see his friend reduced to this.  And all over a man who he, at times, wondered about his true feelings concerning Shuichi.</p><p>As Shuichi related what had happened in their boss’s office, his nerves refused to calm down.  “What should I do?  What should I do?  What?  This is…this is blackmail!  This means…this means he’s forcing me to choose either the band or Yuki, right?”</p><p>“Yeah, it’s a pretty sickening game he’s got going.  This kind of thing really pisses me off.  Shuichi, listen – stay with Yuki-san.  Seriously, we’ll tell NG to go fuck themselves.”</p><p>Shuichi looked over at Hiro, shocked by his friend’s words.  “Hiro, are you serious?”  He had to admit it was really tempting to just follow Hiro’s advice.  But he felt cheated at having to sacrifice everything that Bad Luck had worked for all in the name of keeping his relationship with Yuki.  “Let’s calm down and think this out, okay?  We can’t make any rash decisions.  I’ll talk to Yuki first, and ask about Seguchi-san…to his face.  It’s the only way to be sure!”</p><hr/><p>Shuichi tried to calm his breathing as he entered the apartment.  Noticing that Yuki’s office door was ajar, he walked towards it, rehearsing what he wanted to ask his lover.  Yuki sat with his back facing Shuichi as he typed away at another of his novels.  His breathing quickened as Yuki finally turned around, sensing that he wasn’t alone.  “There’s something that I wanted to ask you…”</p><p>“You’re back early.  So most likely you haven’t eaten yet, have you?”</p><p>Shuichi stammered as he watched Yuki walk past him.  “Uh…well, no…it’s not that.  I wanted to ask you…”</p><p>“I know, I know.  You don’t have to go on about it.  You want to eat, right?  I’ll make something for you.”</p><p>Getting nowhere fast, Shuichi followed Yuki into the kitchen.  Deciding to take another approach, he tried making small talk about Seguchi to see how Yuki would respond.  “Yuki…h-how’s Seguchi-san these days?”</p><p>Yuki glanced up quizzically as he heard Shuichi’s question, pausing as he made Shuichi’s sandwich.  “Huh?  Why’re you asking me?”</p><p>Sensing danger as he replied to Yuki’s question, he forged ahead anyway.  “Uh…you know!  It always seems like you and Seguchi-san get along so well.”</p><p>Yuki seemed disturbed by this.  “After all this time, what would give you the assumption that we get along?”</p><p>Seeing Yuki’s reaction began to give Shuichi hope.  Maybe it was all in Seguchi’s twisted mind, so he had nothing to worry about.  Right?  “Well, I mean, he <em>is</em> your brother-in-law, after all.  He seems like he knows so much about you.”</p><p>“Of course, he knows all about me.  We lived together when I was younger in the U.S.  He witnessed my nasty little habits firsthand.  The guy’s got an attention to detail, too.  He probably knows how many hairs I have on my head.”</p><p>And just as quickly as it rose, Shuichi’s hope sank.  <em>Those two had lived together?  What the fuck?</em>  He realized that Yuki was still talking to him, so he listened.</p><p>“In reality, he’s the one who took me to New York in the first place.  He took care of me, set me up with a place to crash.  And he’s the one who introduced Kitazawa to me, too.  I acted like we were joined at the hip, sometimes.”</p><p>Feeling the jealousy welling up inside, he shouted before he could stop and think about what he was saying.  “Why aren’t you pissed off at Seguchi-san, then?  It’s because he took you to New York and introduced you to that guy.  That’s why all those horrible things happened to you!”</p><p>Yuki’s face darkened in irritation as Shuichi spoke.  “That’s enough, Shuichi!  I’m not sure what you’re getting at, but this is as far as it goes.  I’ve had enough.  Why would I hold any of that against Seguchi?  It’s because of <em>him</em> that I’ve made it this far.  <em>He</em> made me a success.  <em>He’s special</em>.  He’s different from you.  Understand?”</p><p>Shuichi stiffened as though he’d just been slapped.  Well, there was the answer he’d been waiting for, right?  “I see.  In other words, Seguchi-san is someone special to you, and I’m not.  I get the picture now, Yuki.  I just can’t compete against him, can I?  Compared to him, I’m just trash, nothing more!”  Feeling the tears welling up, he turned and ran back out of the apartment, ignoring Yuki as he called out to him.</p><hr/><p>
  <em>Later that day at a taping of a television show, Shuichi revealed what had happened.  When he told them that he hadn’t yet made up his mind about whom to pick, they were flabbergasted.  They thought for certain he’d pick Yuki.  Hiro even pulled him aside and told him he had to ask Yuki how he felt.  Otherwise, he’d never know and agonize over it forever.  Which led him to his current location at a bar where he’d found both Yuki and Seguchi.  Once again, Seguchi threatened to use his power to blacklist Shuichi and his band.  When Yuki reprimanded Seguchi, Shuichi thought for a moment that Yuki was defending him.  Then came the punch line delivered by Yuki himself.  “You told me you did all this so I could get Shuichi out of my life, didn’t you?  You were doing me a favor because I was sick of babysitting this punk.  Didn’t I say that, Seguchi?  You’re the only one who understands me.”</em>
</p><p>Shuichi couldn’t believe it.  This was just <em>too</em> fucking rich.  Embarrassment and shame rippled through him at what had just happened.  Here he was just having been dumped by Yuki, in public no less, and his now ex-boyfriend was acting all buddy-buddy with his boss.  Fists clenching, he decided right then that this was the last straw.  So why not go out with a bang?  Fuck Yuki and Seguchi – they could both go to Hell as far as he was concerned!  He was done with them both.  Now he knew why K had been acting like he was.  Knowing the older male, he’d probably suspected it all along.  He saw K smirk and nod slightly at him from the corner of his eye.  Whatever he did, however scandalous, he knew that he could count on both K and his bandmates to support him.  That thought empowered him.  It made him feel as though he could take on anything or anyone.  This was how Yuki wanted things to be?  Well, fucking fine!  Bring it on, bitches!  Shuichi was ready for a fight.  He heard the song playing in the background and smirked.  This was going to make it more enjoyable for him.</p><p>
  <em>I guess I didn’t hear you right</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Did you say that you were leaving me?</em>
</p><p>
  <em>You really must be feeling bad,</em>
</p><p>
  <em>to say those kinds of things to me.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I’m sorry that you feel that way.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Because I…</em>
</p><p>
  <em>thought that we really had it made.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>That you and I were gonna last.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I guess it’s fair to let you know.</em>
</p><p>Noticing the dark aura that started to emanate from Shuichi, people began edging away from him, not knowing what he was capable of.  Pink bangs framed violet eyes, shading the pain their owner felt.  Anger, sadness, and betrayal all swirled together to create a dangerous mixture.  Right now, Shuichi couldn’t trust that he wouldn’t say something he’d later regret.  So, he decided to let his fists do the talking for him.  If you asked Shuichi before now if he would ever strike Yuki, he would have looked at you with a horrified expression.  But now, right then, all he felt was a deep sense of disgust.  It was not aimed solely at Yuki.  No, he felt disgust at himself for allowing Yuki to use him for so long.</p><p>
  <em>You’re nothing without me.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I wouldn’t walk out that door.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Or you may find out the hard way,</em>
</p><p>
  <em>just what love is for.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>You’re nothing without me.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>You’ll never fall in love again.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Because there’s only one me and you.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Why pretend?</em>
</p><p>Yuki had no warning as his head flew violently to the side, wincing as he felt the skin of his lip split apart.  Raising a hand to wipe away the blood, he glanced over to see who had decked him, gold eyes narrowed coldly.  To his surprise there stood Shuichi, blood spattered on the knuckles of his left hand.  To say he was shocked would have been one hell of an understatement.  This was Shuichi we were talking about!  He didn’t make it a habit of punching people.  Now all he could do was stare as Shuichi glared hatefully at him, a crowd of curious onlookers clustered around them.  Great, this was just what he fucking needed.  “What was that for, brat?  Is it my fault now that you can’t handle the truth?”</p><p>“Shut the fuck up, Yuki!”  Shuichi spat back, his eyes never leaving Yuki’s face.  “You know, I had seriously considered staying with you.  What a fucking idiot I was to have even thought of doing so.  I’m so fucking sick and tired of being played like one of your toys.  I’m not your goddamned puppet!  You don’t even care to treat me like a human being.  To you, I’m just some fucking mutt that you can just snap your fingers at and I’ll just obediently come running.  Well, fuck that shit!  What is my life to you, Yuki?  Huh?  Is it some damned game to you?  Answer me, goddamn it!”</p><p>Yuki stood there, stunned, his eyes widening at each word that Shuichi shouted.  This had to be the angriest he’d ever seen the younger man.  Before he could say anything, he heard Tohma speak up.</p><p>“How dare you hit Eiri-san like that?  What gives you the right…”  Before Tohma could finish his sentence, he felt the pain race up the side of his face.  Bringing a hand to his now sore jaw, he stared incredulously at his assailant.  “You damned bastard!”  He seethed through clenched teeth.</p><p>“Why don’t you go fuck yourself sideways with a cactus, <em>Seguchi-san</em>?”  Shuichi sneered.</p><p>K found that he was glad he’d had the foresight to bring his video camera with him.  Damn, he really wished he had some popcorn right now!  This whole thing was just priceless to him.  Who would’ve thought that Shuichi had it in him to not only slug Yuki but Tohma as well?  Chuckling to himself, he was proud of Shuichi.  It took a lot of guts to stand up to people who’d been treating you like shit.  He could only picture Shuichi’s bandmates’ expressions once they viewed the video.  That alone sent him off into another fit of giggles, making the people around him back away from the crazy man who was laughing to himself.</p><p>“I’m sick of the both of you!  Do you know what it feels like being treated the way I have?  Obviously not, since the only way the high-and-mighty Seguchi can handle people is by using threats and blackmail.  Pathetic!  Everything that’s gone wrong with Yuki, you have found some insane way to pin on me.  I’m honestly quite surprised you haven’t found a way to blame Kitazawa on me as well.  But I suppose that’s more <em>your</em> Achilles heel than mine, right?  It’s past time you opened your fucking eyes to see that Yuki never needed or wanted your help!”  He stopped to catch his breath before continuing, amethyst eyes almost black with his anger.  “Oh, and by the way, you don’t have to fire me, because I quit!  And despite your petty threats, Bad Luck will find a new label and we’ll be bigger and better just to spite you.  Let’s be real.  It wasn’t a big secret that you couldn’t give a rat’s ass damn about us.  The only reason you even lifted a finger to help us was to keep your precious Yuki’s little fuck toy happy, right?  You might’ve helped to destroy my fucked-up excuse of a relationship, but I will be fucking damned if I let you take away everything I’ve worked for!”  He said nothing else as he exited the bar, the crowd parting to let him through.  The bitterness of his words hung in the stale, smoky air.  It was so silent that you could hear a pin drop.</p><p>K followed his singer out the door, pausing only to say, “I warned you, Tohma, about what would happen.”  Still chuckling, he got into the driver’s side of the car.  <em>Wonder how Tohma’s going to handle the publicity fallout from <strong>that</strong> little encounter?</em>  “Where do you want to go, Shuichi?”</p><p>Shuichi glanced over at K.  “Where do you think I want to go?  I want to get my stuff from that bastard’s home.  After that, I’ll either get a hotel room or crash at Hiro’s place.  I don’t want to deal with my family nagging at me right now.  Knowing my mom and sister, they’d probably take Yuki’s side.”  Raising his hand to brush the hair from his eyes, he grimaced at the sight of Yuki’s blood on his skin.  <em>Well, too late to go back now.  Is this what it’s like to finally feel free, to have control of my life once again?  I haven’t had control since I first met Yuki and that was, what, two years ago?  Two years of my life wasted on that damned bastard!  And endured all of it for what?  What have I gained from it?  Yeah, I’m famous.  But we all know it was only because of Yuki and Seguchi’s influence.  Everything that pertained to my career was done only to keep me happy, so Yuki wouldn’t have a reason to bitch to Seguchi.  Apparently, my talent wasn’t good enough to carry us alone.</em>  He said nothing, eyes intent on watching the passing scenery outside of his window.</p><p>To his relief, he didn’t spot Yuki’s Mercedes in the driveway.  Not that he expected him to be there after what happened, but you never know.  All it meant to him was that he now had time to get his things and get the fuck out of Dodge.  Grabbing his keys out of his jeans pocket, he opened the door with K standing watch behind him.  As he packed his things, he finally realized the small role that he had played in Yuki’s life.  I mean, come on!  Who the fuck makes their lover sleep on the couch instead of the bed?  Shuichi snorted, his mood darkening even further.  He didn’t need Yuki Eiri in his life and he was determined to prove it.  After checking to make sure he had everything, he started carrying his stuff out to K’s car.  Two trips had all of his stuff packed into the trunk.  Smirking, he got a sudden idea.  “Hey, K-san, want some target practice?”  He asked, holding up his key.  Tossing the key up into the air, he watched as K fired his gun.  When the key finally landed with a clinking noise, he picked it up.  He laughed as he noted the precise hole now etched into the key.  “I think that’s sufficient enough as a parting gift, don’t you, K-san?”  He pitched the key onto the doormat, uncaring as to what happened to it.  Getting into the passenger’s side, he saw K looking at him.  “I’m fine for right now, K-san.  Don’t look so concerned.  It’d probably be best for me to get booked into a hotel room for tonight.  I don’t want Seguchi’s goons bothering Hiro about any of this.”</p><p>K would glance over at Shuichi as he drove, unused to this type of behavior from the vocalist.  Sure, he could act like a little drama queen at times, but this detached demeanor was beginning to worry him.  He hadn’t seen Shuichi so much as shed a tear since they left the bar.  A few minutes later, he pulled into the parking lot of the Imperial Hotel.  He wanted to be certain that Shuichi was away from the public eye as much as he could manage.  Shuichi seemed to be holding up relatively well, all facts considered, but even K knew he would eventually crack.  And there would be no telling how much Shuichi would be changed by it.  Getting Shuichi’s suitcases out of the trunk, he made a mental note to bring his things to Hiro’s apartment.</p><p>Walking into the sweeping entrance, Shuichi found that he was unable to find wonder in the splendid grandeur of the hotel.  He said nothing, only watching silently as K made all of the arrangements.  As soon as the key was in his hand, they made their way up to his room.  Once on the Executive Floor, they quickly found his room.  The room itself was spacious and airy, definitely not lacking in any of the amenities one could wish for.  Shuichi sat down on the bed, his blank eyes following K’s movements.</p><p>K sat Shuichi’s luggage on the floor, his discerning eyes seeing the strain starting to show on the younger man’s face.  “Are you going to be okay, Shuichi?”</p><p>Shuichi said nothing at first, finally whispering, “What’s okay?  I don’t know what I feel anymore.”</p><p>K said nothing at that, not really knowing how to fix what was hurting Shuichi.  The only thing that could help him now was time – and lots of it.  “I’ll be back tomorrow to see how you’re doing, Shuichi.  When I leave here tonight, I’ll take your stuff over to Hiro’s.  Is that okay with you?”  At the other man’s nod, he continued.  “Get some sleep, Shuichi.  You need it more than you know.”  He let himself out of the room, hoping that Shuichi didn’t do something stupid to himself.</p><p>Reclining back onto the queen-sized bed, Shuichi finally gave into the tears he’d wanted to shed ever since he was dumped earlier in the evening.  Salty trails of liquid poured down his face as his breath hitched with each sob.  The depression he felt now hurt worse than when he’d been thrown out by Yuki not too long after he first moved in.  His assault and rape, being left behind by Yuki…all of it paled in comparison to what he was experiencing now.  Grabbing a tissue from the box on the nightstand, he wiped his eyes before blowing his nose.  Feeling somewhat better, he reached for the remote, wanting nothing more than to watch mind-numbing television.  He’d watch anything that would quiet the cacophony of emotions in his mind.  As he flipped through the channels, he finally found an all-music channel.  The sad, slow sound of the music hit him first before the heart-wrenching lyrics did.  <em>Depressing breakup music.  This is more my style right now.  You’re preaching to the choir, girl.  Hold on and I’ll sing along with you.  I’m fairly certain I know the words to heartache by now.</em></p><p>Getting back onto his feet, he walked over to where the mini bar was located.  Right now, despite his extremely low tolerance for alcohol, all he wanted was to get shit-faced drunk.  Then he’d curl up into the fetal position and await his inevitable hangover.  It sounded good to him.  Looking over his selection of poison, he pondered what the preferred drink was when one was depressed.  Since he couldn’t really hold his liquor, he had no idea.  Spying a bottle of Jack Daniels whiskey, he decided to go for the gold.  If that wouldn’t make him drunk, then no amount of alcohol would.  Holding the bottle in his hand, he closed the door to the mini-bar.  With his back propped up by soft, goose feather pillows, he raised the bottle to his face.  “Hello, Jack, my name is Shuichi.  Here’s to getting acquainted with you.  Cheers!”  Raising the bottle in a mock salute, he proceeded to get drunk off his ass.</p><p>The half-empty bottle sat on the nightstand, condensation pooling onto the wooden surface.  Shuichi was half-asleep, his glazed eyes fixed on the television.  Every word she had sang cut a painful wound in his already damaged heart.  He didn’t know what he’d do tomorrow, besides suffering from a smashing hangover from partying with his newfound friend Jack.  Let’s review, shall we?  Based on tonight’s events, he no longer had a lover or a job.  Yep, his life was now officially fucked up.  All thanks to one manipulative, overbearing bastard.  Hell, that was reason enough to get smashed off of his ass, if nothing else.</p><p>Rolling over onto his side, his hand clutched the pillow next to his head.  His last memories of Yuki flashed through his mind, his sobs increasing with each moment that flickered like a slideshow.  Everything he’d done for Yuki, only to hear him thanking Seguchi for breaking them apart.  And here he was crying over the bastard.  Even as he drifted off to sleep, he resolved to drive everything related to Yuki from both his life and mind.  Tomorrow was another day.  And there would be a new Shuichi when it dawned.</p><hr/><p>Back in his car, K pulled out his cell phone.  After listening to it ring for a few minutes, a man’s voice finally answered.  “Sakano, listen to me.  I want you to get a hold of Fujisaki and meet me at Hiro’s apartment.  We’ve got a situation with Shuichi that’s going to need all of our attention.”  He sighed as the man naturally went into hysterics.  “Sakano, calm down and keep your damned head together!  This is serious!  What’s happened tonight will affect Bad Luck’s career, not to mention Shuichi’s sanity.”  After getting the man’s reassurance, he hung up the phone and put the car into gear.  Deep down, even though he didn’t show it, he was pissed at how they’d treated Shuichi.  The kid gave and gave but got nothing in return.  If things turned out the way he hoped, soon Shuichi and Bad Luck would get the well-deserved recognition they had earned.</p><p>He pulled up into the entrance to Hiro’s home, parking next to the man’s motorcycle.  He idly wondered if he was going to have to restrain Hiro from going and beating the shit out of Yuki.  Personally, he really didn’t give a damn if Hiro whaled on him.  But then there’d be the drag of bailing him out of jail.  As he got out of the car, he saw the door open.  Hiro stood in the doorway and K could make out the faint outline of Ayaka standing behind him.  He could have crowed right then upon seeing her there.  This would <em>definitely</em> help make his plan go easier.  Although loyal to Yuki in the past, Ayaka had grown fond of Shuichi.  “Hiro, could you give me a hand?  I need to bring Shuichi’s things inside.”  K would have sworn he felt the air chill as he saw Hiro’s eyes narrow.</p><p>Hiro waited until he was standing next to K to state what he wanted to say.  “The bastard kicked him out, huh?  Guess things didn’t go smoothly tonight then.”  He almost dropped one of the boxes when he heard what K had to tell him.  “You’re shitting me, right?  <em>Shuichi’s</em> the one who up and left?”</p><p>K nodded, smirking at Hiro.  “I’ve got tonight’s events all on video, Hiro-kun.  On my way here I called Sakano and told him to bring Fujisaki with him.  Once you see what went down, you’ll have a better understanding of why he left.  Plus, I’ve got some things I need to discuss with all of you.”  Seeing headlights pull up behind him, he turned around.  “Oh good, looks like everyone’s here!  Let’s finish getting Shuichi’s stuff inside.”</p><p>Once everyone was settled, K turned and looked at his audience.  Hiro, Ayaka, and Sakano sat on one couch, while Fujisaki and Ryuichi (who had come with Sakano) sat on another.  “As you know, I accompanied Shuichi when he went to ask Yuki-san how he really felt about him.  Needless to say, things did <em>not</em> go very well.  Tohma did his usual spiel about blacklisting Bad Luck and then Yuki-san stepped in.  At first, I thought he was defending Shuichi, but well…maybe you should just watch this instead.”  He hooked his video camera up to the television and pressed play.  Standing to the side, he observed their reactions as they watched the events of the night unfold.  Hiro looked like he wanted to murder both blond men on the screen and Ayaka placed a hand on his arm to try and calm him down.  She looked upset as well.  Sakano was, for once, not going into hysterics.  He looked completely shattered, as though someone had told him the Easter bunny wasn’t real.  Apparently, he hadn’t seen this side of his boss.  Fujisaki looked calm and K knew that was because he wasn’t shocked by his cousin’s behavior.  Hell, the kid had probably expected it all along.  Finally, he looked at Ryuichi and saw that he had his serious face on.  That could only mean that a certain keyboardist was going to get his ass royally chewed out later on.  Ryuichi respected Shuichi and didn’t like to see him abused in any manner.  The video came to a close and K silently shut it off.</p><p>“Those fucking bastards…who in the hell do they think they are?!”  Hiro swore as he got up and started pacing.  He stopped suddenly and looked over at K.  “K-san, where is Shu right now?  Please tell me he’s somewhere safe.”</p><p>K nodded as he replied, “I booked him into a room on the Executive Floor of the Imperial Hotel.  He was like a zombie when I left.  Even on the way to the hotel, he never cried once.  What they’ve done has totally demoralized him.  Quite frankly, I’m not sure if he’ll hold up through it or not if he stays in Japan.  That’s why I’m about to announce a possibility for Bad Luck to embark on.  Reiji, from XMR, has expressed an interest in gaining Shuichi and Bad Luck to her label.  This would be your chance to break into the American market and possibly beyond.  You’d have to move to the States…New York to be exact.  What does everyone think?”</p><p>Sakano grew pale at the mention of Reiji’s name, knowing of her reputation in the music industry.  But he knew that K had a point.  “This would be an excellent boost for their careers, K-san.”</p><p>Hiro spoke up and asked, “What about Shu?  Has he agreed to this plan of yours?  Wait a minute, this is what you were referring to earlier, wasn’t it?”</p><p>“Yes, Hiro-kun, it was.  I didn’t have a good feeling about the whole situation, so I decided to get us a backup plan.  I haven’t spoken to him about it yet.  I wanted to see what everyone thought of it before I mentioned it to him.  If you have doubts about it, think about it this way.  It would give Shuichi the break he needs to get on with his life.  He’d have a fresh start in the States with the chance to prove what Bad Luck is capable of.  And, he might finally have the chance to meet someone who will truly love him.  Do you want to deny him that?”</p><p>“No, I don’t.”  Hiro replied softly.  “He does deserve that chance.”  He looked over at Ayaka.</p><p>As if sensing what he didn’t say, she said, “If it is alright with K-san, I’d love to go with you.  Our relationship is just starting and I don’t want to see it possibly falter due to being long-distance.  I feel that this would give us a new start as well, Hiro-kun.”</p><p>“I agree with K-san, Nakano-san.  I think this would be a good opportunity for us all.”  Fujisaki spoke up.  “It would help us to break out from the shadow of Nittle Grasper and NG Records.  No offense, Sakuma-san.”</p><p>Turning back to face K, Hiro replied, “This plan of yours is fine with us, K-san.  But tomorrow we will all go visit Shuichi and hear what he has to say about this.”</p><hr/><p>The next morning found them all, save Sakano-san, outside of Shuichi’s hotel room.  The older man told them he had a few things he needed to say to Seguchi before they left Japan for New York.  K knocked on the door and waited.  Hearing no one stirring inside of the room, he used his copy of the key and opened the door.  The room was dark and they could hear the muted sounds coming from the television.  Hiro walked over and turned it off as Ayaka went to open the drapes.  When light filled the room, they all heard a low-pitched groan.  Shuichi lay on the bed with his arm draped over his eyes.  “Will someone <em>please</em> shut off the fucking sun before it burns what’s left of my brain cells?!  And get rid of the kangaroos tripping out on LSD while you’re at it!”</p><p>K picked up the bottle of Jack Daniel’s whiskey sitting on the nightstand.  Shaking the bottle, he heard the remaining liquid sloshing around.  “No wonder you’ve got such a monster hangover, Shuichi.  You know you can’t hold your liquor.  Why did you even drink this stuff?”</p><p>Shuichi by this time had sat up on the bed.  He glared at K before answering.  “My life’s been flushed down the proverbial shithole and you have the nerve to ask me <em>why</em> I got drunk?  Grow a fucking brain, would you?  As of right now, both my relationship and job have been pissed on.  Do you expect me to be little Miss Fucking Sunshine?!”  His stomach chose that moment to rebel his liquor-induced spree the night before and he bolted off the bed towards the bathroom.</p><p>Hiro had just come out of the bathroom with a cup of water and two aspirin in his hands when he felt the whirlwind pass by him.  The sounds of vomiting could be heard throughout the room.  Hiro sighed to himself.  <em>K-san should have told them to lock up the mini bar to keep Shu out.  He’s just unable to drink alcohol</em>.  Shuichi reemerged a few minutes later, his face white and drawn looking.  Walking over to where his friend sat, he told him, “Here, Shu, maybe this will make you feel better.”  He watched silently as his friend tossed back the aspirin, drinking the entire cup of water.  “K-san has a proposition for the band.  Please hear him out before you agree or disagree to anything.”</p><p>Shuichi tried to listen to what K was saying, though the pounding in his skull was preventing it.  This was a good thing, right?  It would give him a chance to get away from both Yuki and Seguchi’s meddling interference.  Most importantly, it would show the pompous bastards that <em>someone</em> out there wanted his band.  That they didn’t need any pathetic crumbs from them to survive.  <em>And XMR’s a hell of a lot bigger than NG.  Imagine how widely known Bad Luck could become!  It’s time I did something for myself and my band for a change.  Fuck those assholes!  They’re not worth my time anymore!</em>  “K-san, call Reiji and tell her she has a deal.  As of now, Bad Luck is no longer with NG Records.  But first, we need to break our contract.”</p><p>“I think Sakano’s taking care of that for you, Shuichi.  He wasn’t too pleased with what he saw on that video last night.  We just may see a new side of him today.”  Before Shuichi could comment on what he meant by that, he had already walked out into the hallway to contact Reiji.</p><p>“What did he just mean by video?  Did that bastard record what happened last night?  He did, didn’t he?  Damn it, when I get my hands on him!”</p><p>“Please calm down, Shuichi-kun!  K-san didn’t mean anything mean-spirited by it.  He only wanted to show us what you had faced last night.  We are all on your side and want to help.”</p><p>Shuichi felt like he was suddenly thrust into the Twilight Zone.  Here was Ayaka, Yuki’s ex-fiancée, taking <em>his</em> side in this whole affair.  “Thanks, Ayaka-san.  That means a lot.”</p><p>K walked back into the room with a big smile on his face.  “We leave in the morning on an 8:00 AM flight to New York City.  I want you to spend today getting packed and ready to go.  A limo will pick you up at 5:30 tomorrow morning.  This way we’ll have a nice getaway out of Japan.”</p><p>“Hiro, do you mind if I go back with you and crash at your house?  I need to sort through my stuff and decide what I need to store at my parents’ house.”</p><p>Hiro nodded.  He helped Shuichi gather his things, since he hadn’t unpacked, as K took care of his checking out.  Hiro and Ayaka decided to ride back with both K and Shuichi.  Fujisaki went back with Ryuichi after promising that he’d see them tomorrow morning.</p><p>Shuichi said out of the blue, “K-san, do you have the <em>only</em> copy of that video?  Has anyone else seen it?”</p><p>K didn’t even take his eyes off of the road as he replied, “Oh, I might have sent a copy to one other person.  And I’m sure she’s pretty pissed off at two certain people right now.”</p><p>Shuichi sat there horrified as he realized who K had sent a copy to.  “You sent a copy to Mika-san?  Are you fucking insane, you stupid American?  That’s all I fucking need is Mika-san coming after me for hitting not just her brother, but her husband as well!”  He groaned and sank down in his seat.  “How much more is my life going to get fucked up?  Wasn’t last night enough?”</p><p>“I think you’re underestimating yourself, Shuichi.  Mika-san is mature enough to see who was truly at fault in all of this.  While she may have doubted your relationship with Yuki-san at one point, she came around, didn’t she?  I think you have more people on your side than you realize.”</p><p>“We can only hope, K-san.”</p><hr/><p><strong> <em>Chapter 2 Preview</em> </strong> <em>:  Witness the fallout as both Sakano and Ryuichi confront Tohma about his machinations.  As everyone prepares to leave Japan, what is being arranged in the background to make Yuki open his eyes in regards to what he’s done to Shuichi?</em></p><p>
  <em>Song used in this chapter:  “You’re Nothing Without Me” – Belinda Carlisle</em>
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<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Breaking Out</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Sakano and Ryuichi both give Tohma a dressing down after witnessing his behavior towards Shuichi.  It's time for Bad Luck to make their departure from Japan to New York.</p>
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  <strong>
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      <span class="u">Disclaimer</span>
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  <em>:  I don’t own Gravitation or its characters.  All characters belong to Maki Murakami.  No profit is made from the writing of this story.</em>
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    <em>When they discover the center of the universe, a lot of people will be disappointed to discover they are not it. – Bernard Bailey</em>
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<p>Sakano ignored people calling out to him as he walked towards his destination.  He was still in shock over what he had seen last night.  No one deserved to be treated in such a vile manner when it was obvious the other party only did it out of spiteful jealousy.  He had practically sweated blood and tears to get Bad Luck this far!  In fact, it seemed as though he was the <em>only</em> one besides K-san who actually cared about the band.  Obviously, Seguchi was only engrossed in anything that concerned one Yuki Eiri.  He remembered Shuichi’s words from the video and although he hated to admit it, it did seem as though the younger man was correct.  Everything that had seemed to be an aid for Bad Luck originated from Seguchi’s desire to please Yuki.  Sakano recalled every event and he always suspected there was something more to the mogul’s motives than helping out the fledgling band.</p>
<p>Stiffening his back, he knocked on the office door.  After hearing Seguchi call for him to come in, he made a decision to wait.  He would see for himself just how much Seguchi detested Shuichi.  That would help him in his wavering decision that he’d lost sleep over since last night.  As he walked in, he noticed that Seguchi sat on one of the couches in his office, staring intently at the television in front of him.  It blared news about Judy Winchester arriving at C-Vivant in Shibuya to personally celebrate the Japanese opening of her latest movie.  Sakano could see the discoloration on the other man’s jaw where Shuichi had punched him the night before.</p>
<p>“She’s a Hollywood superstar.  That type of person will do anything to get to the top.  She’d probably renounce her own parents if it got her a magazine cover.  I bet she’s never let her emotions get in the way of her career.  I’m sure she’s a consummate professional, willing to pour all of her spirit and energy into her work.  I wish I could say otherwise…but I really don’t have that kind of dedication to my profession.”</p>
<p>Sakano was confused as to why Seguchi was suddenly talking about that.  “Why are you so suddenly concerned about this, Seguchi-san?”</p>
<p>“I’m the one who broke up Shindou-san and Eiri-san.  You may think I did it to help the band prosper, but that would be a lie.  I did it all for <em>him</em>, for my Eiri.  It had everything to do with my personal feelings and nothing to do with Bad Luck.  And after Shindou-san’s <em>appalling</em> behavior last night, he and Bad Luck no longer even exist on NG’s roster.  After I’m through with him, the little shrimp will be begging me for a chance to come back.”</p>
<p>Sakano’s eyes narrowed at his words.  “So, let me get this straight.  You never actually had any interest in helping Bad Luck, did you, Seguchi?  It appears as though Shindou-san was right.  Everything was done only in the interest of your precious <em>Eiri-san</em>.  Have you been out of the loop for so long that you’ve lost sight of what it takes to become a star in this business?  Shindou-san worked day and night to get Bad Luck off of the ground and you just dismiss him as though he’s nothing?  I feel sorry for Shindou-san considering he’s had to deal with both your interference and Yuki-san’s cold attitude.”</p>
<p>Tohma looked over at Sakano, his eyes wide at the man’s suddenly chilly attitude.  He had even dropped the usual honorific he always used with his name.  It looked as though the man who had fawned over him in the past had developed a sudden backbone overnight.  “This whole matter is none of your business since Bad Luck is no longer affiliated with NG.  I’ll overlook your acting out of line for now.  But remember this – it had better not occur again in the future.  Have I made myself clear, Sakano-san?”</p>
<p>“You’ve made something clear, Seguchi.  You’ve proven that you’re a royal bastard who loves nothing more than to manipulate people.  And let me make something clear for <em>you</em>.  Bad Luck doesn’t need whatever pathetic table scraps you choose to throw them.  XMR has made an offer for Bad Luck to join their label, which has been accepted.  As of now, Bad Luck’s contract with NG is null and void.  Shindou-san will make good on his promise that Bad Luck will thrive <em>and</em> be bigger just to spite you!”</p>
<p>Tohma’s mouth thinned into a line, his eyes darkening in anger.  “You’ve crossed a line you shouldn’t have, Sakano-san.  I will not tolerate your insubordination!”  Mouth turning up into a cruel smirk, he taunted, “How fitting that a second-rate producer chooses to stick with a second-rate band.  XMR must have hired idiots who don’t know what <em>true</em> music is to have chosen Bad Luck.  That Ryuichi-wannabe will <em>never</em> make anything of that pathetic band!  He’ll be lucky if they’re asked to play at some teenager’s birthday party, let alone putting out another album!” </p>
<p>Sakano clenched his fists in an effort to control his anger before he did something he might regret.  “Effective immediately is my resignation from NG.  I will be transferring to XMR with Bad Luck as their producer.  I’ll be sure to give Reiji-sama your kind regards when I see her, since she’s the so-called idiot who signed Bad Luck.”  He turned to leave, stopping halfway to the door.  Saying the hell with it, he turned around and introduced his fist to Tohma’s left eye.  “Consider that to be my resignation letter, <em>Seguchi-san</em>.”  Spinning on his heel, he marched out of the office, slamming the door shut behind him.</p>
<p>Once outside the office, his adrenaline wore off as he leaned back against the door.  He wasn’t sure what had possessed him to slug his now ex-boss like he had, but damn did it feel good!  Now he knew how Shuichi must have felt the night before.  Looking up, he almost y elped at seeing Sakuma Ryuichi in front of him.  “S-Sakuma-san…I didn’t expect to see you here!”  A sudden realization had him averting his eyes.  He realized then that Sakuma-san had overheard everything that had just occurred, wanting to groan at the thought.  Feeling a hand touch his shoulder, he looked at the other man questioningly.</p>
<p>“Don’t worry, Sakano-san.  I’m not angry with you.  In fact, I’m quite pleased with what you just did.  It’s about time that someone showed Tohma that he won’t always get his way.  And now, I’m going to give him a piece of my mind as well.”  With that said, Ryuichi sauntered past him and into Tohma’s office.</p>
<p>Sakano repressed a shudder at the coldness of Sakuma-san’s voice.  Noticing that Kumagoro was absent, he knew then that the older man was here on business.  He wanted to feel pity for Seguchi, but somehow couldn’t dredge up the feeling.  Walking away quickly, he decided it would be best to go ahead and clear out his office.  After all, he had to settle his affairs in Japan before catching their plane the next morning.</p>
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<p>Ryuichi shut the door behind him, turning around to look at the man he had called a friend.  Thinking back on what he’d told Sakano, he knew it was correct.  Tohma had indeed gotten <em>too</em> used to getting his way through whatever means possible.  He needed to be shown that not everyone would bow down to his will.  Spotting the blond seated on his couch, he eyed the bag of ice the other male was holding against his now swollen left eye.  It seemed ironic to Ryuichi that two men who Tohma had thought to be weak had assaulted him in the span of two days.  He wanted to laugh aloud but controlled himself in time.  “It seems like you’ve had a rough morning, Tohma.  What’s wrong?  Having problems controlling people again?  How tough it must be for you.”</p>
<p>Tohma glared up at him out of his good eye.  “What do you want, Ryuichi-san?  I’m not in the mood to play your silly games this morning.”</p>
<p>Leaning against the door, Ryuichi spoke again.  “Oh, I’m not playing games, Tohma.  I know about <em>everything</em> that happened last night and this morning.  Let’s get one thing straight.  <em>Never</em> call Shuichi a wannabe of me ever again.  I will not tolerate your abusing my friends.  You seem to have forgotten that somewhere along the line.  You know, I have to wonder how Mika-san would feel about all of this.  In actuality, I feel pity for her.  I mean, seeing as how you rarely pay attention to her, instead choosing to focus on Yuki-san instead.  When you finally realize that he never needed you, it’ll be too late.  You won’t have anyone left to turn to because your actions will have driven them all away.  What will you do then, Tohma?”  With that said, he left the office.</p>
<p>Tohma sat there watching the closed door.  In the span of two days, he’d had three people turn on him.  He almost wished Ryuichi had yelled at him, rather than using that quiet, disappointed tone.  Even Eiri had disappeared after the scene at the bar and Tohma suspected he might have gone to Kyoto.  Staring silently at the now dark television screen, he thought about both Sakano and Ryuichi’s words.  Was it possible they were correct?  Eiri never acted grateful when he did something to help him.  But it was like Tohma couldn’t help himself.  To this day, he still harbored a terrible guilt because of the incident concerning Eiri and Kitazawa, knowing he was the one who had introduced Eiri to the tutor.  Maybe this was his chance to reevaluate things and correct his mistakes before it was too late.</p>
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<p>Ryuichi didn’t know how Mika would react once he reached Kyoto.  He knew that K had given her a copy of the video he’d viewed last night, but he didn’t know if she’d seen it yet or not.  Glancing over at the passenger side, he saw the tape recorder sitting there like a bomb waiting to go off.  He’d recorded both his and Sakano’s conversations with Tohma.  Mika needed to know what was going on.  Too many times she’d been left in the dark and it was time for her to see the light once and for all.  Getting out of his car, he absently wondered if he’d run into Tatsuha while he was here.  Brushing that thought aside, he walked to the main temple.  Luck was with him as he spotted Mika almost instantly.  “Mika-san, could I have a few words with you?”</p>
<p>They went into an empty room and sat down.  Ryuichi noticed that she looked paler than usual and hoped that what had happened hadn’t stressed her too much.  He knew this had to hurt seeing two of the people who were supposed to be closest to you treating another as they did.  “Have you watched the video yet that K-san gave to you?”</p>
<p>Mika tensed as Ryuichi asked his question.  “Yes, I saw it.  Honestly, I had trouble believing it at first.  Seeing them break Shuichi-kun as they did…I felt so helpless.  But I do know one thing.  I’m glad that he stood up for himself.  I’m waiting for the right moment to bring this up to Eiri.  Right now, I’m going to make damned sure he stews in his guilt over what he did to Shuichi-kun.”  Reaching a hand into her pocket, she pulled out what looked to be a house key with a bullet hole in it.  “I found this on Eiri’s doorstep when I went to get him some clothing and his laptop.  I believe this was both Shuichi-kun and K-san’s way of telling Eiri to fuck off.”</p>
<p>Ryuichi laughed.  “That does look like K-san’s handiwork.  But there is something else you need to hear, Mika-san.”  He reached into his pocket and pulled out the tape recorder.  “I went to Tohma’s office this morning to give him a piece of my mind about what he put Shuichi-kun through last night.  Imagine my surprise to find that Sakano-san had beaten me to it.  Not only did he chew him out and resign, he also punched him in his left eye.  I’ve got every moment of both his and my conversations on tape.”</p>
<p>Mika’s eyes widened at what Ryuichi told her.  “Sakano…who is always agitated and nervous, not to mention devoted to my husband, did all of that?”  She grew silent as she listened to the tape.  The brunette couldn’t believe how her husband was behaving.  It looked as though it was time for a talk with him as well.  “Thank you, Ryuichi, for telling me this.  What time does Shuichi-kun leave tomorrow?”</p>
<p>“His plane leaves tomorrow morning at 8 AM.  Why do you ask?  It’s not like you’re going to be able to make Yuki-san go and stop him.  And at this point, I highly doubt that Shuichi-kun even wants to see him.”</p>
<p>Mika snorted softly.  “That idiot’s stubborn pride will be his downfall.  No, I’m not going to tell Eiri until it’s too late.  I think it’s high time he learned a lesson from all of this.  There is a favor that I would like to request of you, Ryuichi, if it’s possible.  Shuichi-kun’s departure time and location needs to be “leaked” to the press and have a group of paparazzi there to cover it.  This would be an excellent example to show Eiri what he’s lost because of his own ignorance.”</p>
<p>Ryuichi smiled at Mika.  “Consider it done, Mika-san.  In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if K-san hadn’t already thought of it.”</p>
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<p>Shuichi fought to stay awake as he climbed out of the limo.  Hiro, Fujisaki, Ayaka and Sakano followed behind.  On the way to the airport, Sakano related what had happened in Seguchi’s office.  When he told them how he stood up for them and the manner in which he had resigned, Shuichi had hugged him.  Sakano’s support meant more than he knew.  He had never been happier than when he was told that Sakuma-san had also gone to talk to the keyboardist.  Walking into the airport, he saw K-san and Sakuma-san waiting for them.  Seeing the other vocalist motion to him, he walked over to where Sakuma stood.  “What is it, Sakuma-san?”</p>
<p>“I’ve spoken with Mika-san and she wants you to know that you have her full support.  She was so proud of you last night for standing up for yourself.  Just remember that you have a lot of people behind you, Shuichi-kun.  Don’t ever forget that.”</p>
<p>Blinking sudden tears out of his eyes, he smiled.  “Thank you, Sakuma-san.  That means a lot.”  His head whipped around when he heard a cacophony of ear-splitting shrieks, the flashing lights of cameras briefly blinding him.  <em>Oh, fuck me!  </em>He groaned mentally.  <em>Looks like our departure’s been leaked.  God only knows what we’ll have to deal with now.  And to think I was hoping we could leave Japan quietly.</em></p>
<p>What appeared to be a swarm of both male and female fans along with a side of paparazzi was storming their way.  The bravest of the reporters got in his face and started barraging him with questions.  “Shindou-san, is it true that Bad Luck is no longer with NG Records?  Will you be transferring to XMR?”</p>
<p><em>How in the hell did they find out that quickly that we’re going to the States?  They really are like fucking bloodhounds!</em>  Shuichi composed himself before answering.  “Yes, it’s all true.  Bad Luck will be debuting with XMR once we land in the States.”  He waited for the dreaded relationship question.  If they’d found out about this, then God knew they’d be asking him about Yuki.  After the other night, it was bound to be asked.  Mentally, he waited for the cringe-worthy question.  <em>Come on, already!  Just ask the damned question!</em></p>
<p>“Shindou-san – is it true that you and Yuki Eiri are no longer in a relationship?”</p>
<p>Shuichi could see their eyes staring at him, salivating as they awaited his answer.  He laughed suddenly, making the reporter who asked the question look at him with wide eyes as he witnessed Shuichi’s reaction.  “After I was publicly dumped and humiliated in a bar by that bastard where the whole fiasco ended with me ripping him a new asshole and then slugging him?  Do you <em>really</em> have to ask that question?  No, we’re no longer together and I’d say that I’m better off.”</p>
<p>Before any more questions could be asked, K and the guards he’d hired were ushering them to a private jet that sat waiting on the tarmac.  Even as they boarded the plane, they could see the swarm being held back by airport security.  Shuichi turned around to glance at K.  “I thought we were taking a flight to the States.”</p>
<p>K sat down before answering.  “Change of plans, Shuichi.  That crowd would have made it too difficult.  Good thing I anticipated all of this.  So nice of Reiji to send her personal jet for us to use.”</p>
<p>Shuichi snorted at that.  “Something tells me you had something to do with all of those fans and reporters swarming us like that.  Care to tell me why?”</p>
<p>“Nope.”</p>
<p>Shuichi just shook his head and sat down.  Since it would be a long flight, he settled in to take a nap.  He wondered if Yuki, by chance, had witnessed their departure or if he’d even care.  Why would he?  His problem was finally out of his hair.  For all Shuichi knew, he was celebrating with Tohma about Shuichi finally being gone.  They could both fuck off as far as he was concerned.  Right now, all that mattered to Shuichi was his career.  He’d abandoned it for far too long by focusing on that blond bastard instead.</p>
<p>Sleep wasn’t quick in coming, though.  Opening his eyes, he saw the others just relaxing in the plane.  They seemed happy to be leaving Japan behind.  Shuichi wanted this chance to prove what he could really do.  But that part of him that missed Yuki, even though he kept squashing it down, kept popping up.  Why should he even think or worry about that bastard?  Yuki had made his choice and he’d have to live with it.  Closing his eyes once again, he forced himself to clear thoughts of Yuki from his mind.</p>
<hr/>
<p><strong><span class="u">Chapter 3 Preview:</span></strong>  <em>How does Yuki react when he hears the news about Shuichi leaving Japan?  Were his reasons for dumping Shuichi what he really said?  Or was it something else entirely?</em></p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. And My Heart's Not Breaking</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>
    <em>
      <span class="u">Disclaimer</span>
    </em>
  </strong>
  <em>:  I don’t own Gravitation or Naruto.  Characters are still copyrighted to Maki Murakami and Masashi Kishimoto.  This story is written entirely for fun and not for profit.</em>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <strong>
    <em>I’m going to smile and make you think I’m happy.  I’m going to laugh, so you don’t see me cry.  I’m going to let you go in style, and even if it kills me – I’m going to smile. – Anonymous</em>
  </strong>
</p>
<p>Yuki sat quietly in the room, staring out at the shrine grounds that lay outside.  He hadn’t slept decently since that night.  If he tried to, all he saw was Shuichi’s angry face staring accusingly at him.  It had all gone downhill from the moment Shuichi had run out of the apartment to his confronting Tohma.  He could still remember the chilling words Tohma had spoken to him before Shuichi and his crazy manager had arrived.</p>
<p>
  <em>“I told him he was in the way.  And that your cute butt was mine, and that he should never see you again.  Otherwise, I would use my power and everything at my disposal to destroy Bad Luck.  That was about as plain as I could make it for Shindou-san.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“What the hell?”  He could only sit there in stunned disbelief at what Tohma had just told him.  No wonder the kid was acting so strangely earlier.  Yuki almost groaned aloud as he recalled what he’d said.  Yes, he could almost imagine the emotional tizzy Shuichi was going through right now.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Do you think it was too harsh?”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Harsh…are you kidding me?!  Oh, forget it.  The sad thing is that you’re the only person who doesn’t look at me as a sexual object.  I guess it doesn’t surprise me.  Shuichi probably did something annoying and ticked you off.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“You and Shindou-san are too different to be good for each other.  Differences cause friction, and that causes you stress.  Think about it!  This tryst put you in the hospital!  I had thought you guys might inspire one another, but…  Well, let’s just say your relationship with Shindou-san didn’t go exactly as planned.  When I saw you sleeping in that hospital bed, I knew what I had to do.  That boy won’t do anything but drag you down.  So, I had to remove him from your life, like a tumor.  I can’t bear to see you suffer.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“I don’t care what you say, Tohma.  I intend to stay with Shuichi.  So, for once, just butt out!”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“I see.  If I heard you correctly, you intend on continuing your relationship with Shindou-san?”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“That’s right, so just bugger off!”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“I would have thought you’d be tired of vomiting blood and going to therapy and the prospect of being a nervous wreck all your life.  Tres masochistic.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“What’s the alternative?  You?  King Bitterness?  Not likely!”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Am I really so bad?  Is it wrong to want your friend not to suffer?”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“It’s my life, and I’m telling you to <strong>butt out</strong>!”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“No, I can’t do that.  You once told me that when you’re together, something clicks in your head.  It’s this feeling that makes you stay with him, right?  In other words, it’s not friendship or love.  To you, Shindou-san simply “clicks”; nothing more.  If something else inspired the same reaction, you could probably move on to that.  I don’t see why I should give my blessing to such a trifle.  Particularly when it causes you so much pain.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Seguchi…I…I don’t understand what friendship or love is.  That’s the only reason you’re right.  If I knew more, Shuichi would mean more.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Hell broke loose at that moment when Shuichi had busted into the bar alongside his insane, American manager.  That had resulted in a tug-of-war between Seguchi and Shuichi with Yuki being the rope.  He could only stand there listening as Seguchi threatened Shuichi’s career, knowing that he had the power to do it.  The ugly thought that Seguchi could probably do worse than that wormed its way through his head.  He made up his mind at that moment to break up with Shuichi, hopefully sparing him from whatever devious machinations were running through Tohma’s head.  He hadn’t anticipated the kid going apeshit on him, punching both himself and Seguchi along with yelling at them.  There’d been no waterworks, only pure, unadulterated anger.  In hindsight, maybe that should have scared him more than it did at the time.  That was the last he’d seen of Shuichi.  Making his escape from Tokyo, he found himself back home in Kyoto.</em>
</p>
<p>By attempting to protect him, he’d only managed to destroy him even further than Tohma could have accomplished.  He’d heard the voice of someone talking to Mika earlier yesterday morning and recognized it as Sakuma Ryuichi.  Briefly wondering what he wanted to speak with his sister about, he pushed it aside.  Hearing footsteps on the wooden floor, he looked up to see his sister standing near him.  She looked upset and he could hazard a guess why.  She’d given him the cold shoulder since his arrival, making him theorize that she’d found out what had happened.  “If you have something to say, then say it.”  His confusion only grew as she walked past him and turned on the small television set in the room.</p>
<p>He could see that some entertainment news program was currently on and it appeared that they were showing pre-recorded footage of something going on at Narita Airport.  His stomach clenched in knots as he saw the close-up of Shuichi and his bandmates walking through the airport.  This was the first he’d seen of him since that night in the bar.  His eyes had an older look to them.  No warmth remained, turning the violet color to ice.  Ryuichi motioned to Shuichi and Yuki felt a jealous pang as the younger man smiled at something his idol told him.  How ironic he now felt this way when two nights prior he’d turned him away.  Hearing the familiar ear-splitting shriek of female fans, he watched as both fans and paparazzi closed in around them.  One reporter got brave enough to get in close to Shuichi and ask a slew of questions.  “Shindou-san, is it true that Bad Luck is no longer with NG Records?  Will you be transferring to XMR?”</p>
<p>“Yes, it’s all true.  Bad Luck will be debuting with XMR once we land in the States.”</p>
<p>Surprise jolted through him at hearing that they’d be debuting in the States.  K hadn’t been kidding when he said that he’d back Shuichi up in any way he could.  He’d had a trump card and only had to wait to spring it once Shuichi made his decision.</p>
<p>“Shindou-san – is it true that you and Yuki Eiri are no longer in a relationship?”</p>
<p>Yuki winced as he heard Shuichi laugh suddenly.  It wasn’t a friendly laugh, but one filled with bitterness.  “After I was publicly dumped and humiliated in a bar by that bastard where the whole fiasco ended with me ripping him a new asshole and then slugging him?  Do you <em>really</em> have to ask that question?  No, we’re no longer together and I’d say that I’m better off.”  Nothing more was said as K and the guards ushered them towards a private plane that sat on the tarmac, ready to take off.</p>
<p>He could feel Mika glaring holes in the back of his head and found he didn’t know what to say.  Okay, so the night at the bar was tame in comparison to this.  Surely that had to be the worst of it, right?  Wrong.  The newscasters were practically salivating as they gloated over their next bit of juicy news.  “Well, looks like Yuki-san has made quite the big mistake, huh?  For those of you wondering <em>exactly</em> what Shindou-san was referring to, we have obtained exclusive video of the night in question!”  Feeling nausea now beginning to churn a burning hole in his stomach, he could only watch as in horror movie-like fashion the events that led to his breaking up with Shuichi flashed across the screen.  What was worse, he could <em>feel</em> the rabid slobbering of Bad Luck fans baying for his blood even this far away from Tokyo.  His return was <em>not</em> going to be pleasant if they had their way.  At least he wasn’t currently at the center of the storm like Tohma was.  Realizing with a sinking feeling that this wasn’t going to blow over quickly, he debated whether or not it would be prudent to go back to Tokyo.</p>
<p>Mika said nothing as she shut the television off.  She was about to roast Eiri when loud footsteps could be heard running into the room.  “Man, Mika, did you just see that?  Can you believe what that bastard did…?”  Tatsuha’s words came to an abrupt halt as he saw Yuki sitting there on the floor, giving him a frigid glare.  Ignoring the glare, he smirked at his older brother.  “Well, look what we have here.”  He taunted.  “What’s wrong, Eiri?  Couldn’t you manage to keep your boyfriend?  Oh, that’s right.  It’s best to just toss him instead, huh?  He did everything he could for you and this is how you repay him?”</p>
<p>“Tatsuha, that’s enough.”  Mika gave her brother a stern look.  “I’m not going to say you’re wrong, because you’re not.  But right now, <em>I</em> have a few things to say to our dear brother.  You’ll get your chance later.”</p>
<p>Tatsuha snickered.  “Fine, Mika-chan, but I have one last thing to say.  After what you’ve done to him, don’t expect him to just come running back to you with open arms.  You’re going to have to do a <em>lot</em> of begging and groveling to get him back.  That is, if he does decide to forgive you.”</p>
<p>Mika watched silently as her youngest brother walked back out of the room.  Turning back to face Yuki, she asked him, “Well?  Do you have anything to say for yourself?  If Shuichi-kun had meant as much to you as he should have, you wouldn’t have been able to call it off so easily.”</p>
<p>“Don’t you fucking understand, Mika?  I did it <em>for</em> Shuichi!  You know what Tohma’s like, how ruthless he can be!  Damn it.  If I didn’t break things off with him, there’s no telling what Tohma would have done.  Shuichi’s better off this way.  Can’t you see it?”</p>
<p>“How can you stand there and say that after what happened the other night and what you just saw on television?  That boy loved you and would have done <em>anything</em> to stay by your side!  Did you know, Eiri, that his bandmates even told him that he should stay with you?  They were willing to leave NG behind and go somewhere else if it meant Shuichi could stay with you.”  Mika stopped as she came to a realization.  “That’s what this is all about, isn’t it?  You were worried he’d come to resent you if he chose you over his career.  I don’t think it would have come down to Tohma harming Shuichi-kun, but you were letting past ghosts make your decision for you.  Before today, I doubt Shuichi-kun could even think about resenting you.  <em>You</em> made him resent you only after you publicly humiliated him like that.”  She reached into her pocket and pulled out the mangled key.  “This is how he feels about you now, Eiri.  Tatsuha had a point.  You might not <em>ever</em> get Shuichi-kun back.  I think he’s finally reached his limit.”</p>
<p>Yuki stared at the remains of the key.  The hole etched into the metal had him worried.  He said nothing else as he got up and walked out of the room.</p>
<p>“Eiri, where are you going?  I wasn’t finished talking with you!”</p>
<p>“As far as I’m concerned, this conversation is over.  I’m through listening to you.  What I decide to do next is none of your business.”</p>
<p>Mika frowned as she watched her brother leave.  <em>Stubborn jackass!  Why is it so fucking hard for him to admit he loves Shuichi-kun?  None of this would have happened if he’d forgone his damned pride!</em></p>
<hr/>
<p>Yuki stubbornly ignored his silent shadow as Tatsuha followed him.  Finally getting pissed off, he turned and shouted at his brother, “What the fuck do you want, Tatsuha?  Say it and get it over with!”</p>
<p>Tatsuha smiled, clearly enjoying the agitation coming from the older man.  “Oh, it’s nothing, <em>aniki</em>.  I’m just glad that Shuichi finally gave both you and Tohma what you so richly deserved.  Do you really expect me to believe that bullshit you spouted about protecting Shuichi?  You were just looking for a convenient excuse to finally dump him and Tohma handed you a way out on a silver platter!  I just can’t believe he always stood up for you only to get tossed out like a sack of garbage.”</p>
<p>Yuki, annoyed that his brother had listened in on his conversation with Mika, had heard enough.  Before he had time to think, he punched his younger brother across the face.  “Don’t you say another word about Shuichi to my face, understand?  This is my problem and I’ll deal with it.  I don’t need your goddamned interference!”</p>
<p>Tatsuha rubbed his now sore jaw.  “Truth hurts, doesn’t it, aniki?  You should have had your miraculous epiphany sooner or you wouldn’t be in this world of shit.  I can just imagine the <em>glorious</em> welcome you’ll get when you go back home.”  He walked away snickering, leaving a fuming Yuki standing behind him.</p>
<p>Yuki walked out of the shrine in what seemed like a daze.  He only seemed to snap awake when he found himself standing at the edge of the pond that sat at the back of the shrine grounds.  Cursing himself mentally, he remembered finally telling Shuichi his most guarded secret as they stood there.  Honestly, he wouldn’t have been surprised if the boy had left him then.  Who wants a murderer for their lover?  But to his surprise, the truth hadn’t fazed Shuichi in the least.  He suspected it might have made him more appealing to Shuichi.  <em>“After I was publicly dumped and humiliated in a bar by that bastard where the whole fiasco ended with me ripping him a new asshole and then slugging him?  Do you really have to ask that question?  No, we’re no longer together and I’d say that I’m better off.”</em></p>
<p>Those words ripped invisible talons through his heart even though he knew he had no right to feel this way.  Mika and Tatsuha were right.  If he ever wanted to get his brat back, he’d have to do a <em>lot</em> of groveling.  But how could he expect Shuichi to ever forgive him after both he and Tohma had fucked with his mind like that?  In retrospect, wasn’t Shuichi better off now?  He could focus solely on his career without it being held over his head like a ransom note.  The younger man hadn’t looked happy in the airport footage that Yuki had seen, but he knew in time that it would come.  Eventually, he’d get over Yuki and let his music take over his life once again, as it had in the past before he’d even known Yuki had existed.  Maybe he’d even find someone who could actually show him that they cared for him, instead of acting like an emotionally stunted bastard.  Rubbing his hands across tired eyes, Yuki trembled as he realized he couldn’t bear the thought of that happening.  Like a phantom, he heard his own words whispered back to him.  <em>“Seguchi…I…I don’t understand what friendship or love is.  That’s the only reason you’re right.  If I knew more, Shuichi would mean more.”</em>  Was this searing pain he felt now in his heart love?  Go figure.  He could only discover this miraculous fact <em>after</em> he’d driven off his lover.  <em>What do I do now?  Do I go after him or give him time?  Who’s to even say he’d let me get anywhere near him, not to mention his entourage would keep me away from him.  Maybe…maybe it’s time I spoke with Mika about this.</em></p>
<hr/>
<p>The next day heralded a new surprise as Tohma arrived at the shrine, presumably to get away from the bloodshed and carnage that would occur if he were to stay in Tokyo.  To think that he’d underestimated the fact that K would actually go to the media with a copy of the video from that night.  The little shrimp would be a martyr now among both the media and his overzealous fans.  Under different circumstances, Tohma would have applauded K’s actions.  But right now, he only felt like choking the man.  As he closed the front door, he felt the fine hairs on his neck stand up.  Looks like trouble had found him already and was right behind him.  Turning around, he saw his wife standing there with her arms folded across her chest and a glare that could have rivaled Eiri’s.  That look meant “we need to talk” and he knew he wasn’t going to like the outcome.</p>
<p>Following her into the living area, he sat his bags down.  She refused to sit anywhere near him for which he was glad.  That was probably done for his own safety so he’d be out of striking distance.  The silence began to stifle him until he finally broke it.  “Did Eiri-san come here?  I’ve not had a chance to speak with him.”</p>
<p>Mika couldn’t believe Tohma’s audacity at even asking her that.  “Are you afraid your precious Eiri has left, Tohma?  I honestly believe he’s all you can think about.  Why is it that you always seek to protect him when he’s never wanted or needed it?  All of this coddling has to stop, Tohma!  Have you forgotten that you have a wife and a child on the way, or are we just to be brought out when it’s convenient for you?  It sickens me to see how you treated Shuichi-kun.  Was he just another pawn in your game?  He’s a human being, damn it!  That boy is not some chess piece you can manipulate at will!”</p>
<p>Tohma sat there, stupefied, as he watched his wife yell at him.  Okay, it was obvious whose side Mika was on.  Sighing tiredly, he replied, “You’re not the first to have said that to me, Mika.  And I apologize if I’ve hurt you in any way.  I suppose, in a way, I’ve allowed myself to become blinded to what’s truly been going on.”</p>
<p>Mika could only stare at the man who was her husband.  Tohma certainly wasn’t acting like his usual self at the moment.  She could only speculate that aliens had come and abducted him when she wasn’t looking.  “And what inspired this sudden epiphany of yours?  In the past, you’ve done everything in your power to protect Eiri, even going so far as to threaten his lover.  Yes, I was glad that you looked after my brother and I know that you still harbor guilt over what happened in New York.  But doing what you did to Shuichi-kun was unforgivable.  Do you know why Eiri suddenly became compliant about your wish that he would break off his relationship with Shuichi-kun?  He did it to protect him because he knows how ruthless you can be.  And now he feels the guilt over how he treated his lover.  He saw the news, Tohma.  Eiri now knows how Shuichi-kun truly feels.  And although he doesn’t show it, I know he’s hurting on the inside.  You and I both know that Shuichi-kun would have done anything to stay with Eiri.  But instead, Eiri decided to turn him away.  He’d rather be without Shuichi than to have him one day look at him with resentment over choosing him instead of his career.”</p>
<p>Tohma could say nothing to that.  His wife was right.  And now his interference had caused two people more misery than he could ever hope to correct.  “Do you think Eiri-san will ever forgive me?  In my heart, I only wanted to help him.  But everything that I’ve done has backfired, hasn’t it?  And now Shindou-san is with XMR.  He’s where he can finally develop his talent without the fear of it being held over his head.”</p>
<p>“You shouldn’t be asking for my forgiveness, Seguchi.  The one you need to be asking is on his way to New York right now.”  Yuki stepped into the room, eyeing his brother-in-law warily.  “And you’re not the only one that needs to ask for his forgiveness.”</p>
<hr/>
<p><strong><span class="u">Chapter 4 Preview:</span></strong>  <em>Well, for those who have been anxious to see Shu…he will show up in the next chapter.  And soon it’ll be time to introduce our crossover characters.  We’re swinging back to Shu and seeing his arrival in New York to an ecstatic Reiji.  Don’t worry…at least there won’t be a crane suit this time!</em></p>
<p>Song used in this chapter:  <em>Tangled – Maroon 5</em></p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Ready to Go</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Bad Luck has arrived in New York!  They meet up with Rage and are introduced to the new members of their team - Kanade and Deidara.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>We’re introducing our two cross-over characters in this chapter!  Please welcome Nagatani Kanade and Masasane Deidara to our story.  Kanade is my OC and Deidara is well-known to fans of Naruto.  Since I’ve never seen a last name associated with him, I just created one for him.  And, yes, there is a non-evil Orochimaru in the story.  Scary, isn’t it?  Other characters from the Naruto-verse will trickle in as needed, so keep your eyes peeled!</em>
</p><p><strong> <em> <span class="u">Disclaimer</span> </em> </strong> <em>:  I don’t own Gravitation or Naruto.  Characters are still copyrighted to Maki Murakami and Masashi Kishimoto.  This story is written entirely for fun and not for profit.</em></p><hr/><p>
  <strong> <em>“Nothing travels faster than light, with the possible exception of bad news, which follows its own rules.” – Douglas Adams</em> </strong>
</p><p>The bright lights and jarring noise of the city that never sleeps met Bad Luck as they disembarked their plane.  Wide-eyed, they glanced around at their new home for as long as they were based with XMR.  Bags were unloaded into waiting limos as their owners climbed in.  Shuichi, Hiro, and Suguru took one limo while K, Ayaka, and Sakano rode in the other.  Nothing was said at first, each man taking in the sights of New York City.  Hiro finally broke the silence when he asked Shuichi, “How does it feel to be away from Japan, Shu?  Are you sure you’re okay with this?”</p><p>Giving Hiro a skeptical look, Shuichi replied, “Why all the questions so suddenly?  You were just as gung-ho to leave Japan as I was.  What?  Afraid I’m going to go all chicken shit and decide to back out because I left Yuki?  If I wasn’t okay with leaving Japan and that bastard behind, do you think I’d be here?”</p><p>Hiro sat there looking shell-shocked as Shuichi ranted.  Raising his hands in mock surrender, he quickly tried to placate his friend.  “That’s not what I meant, Shu, and you know it!  I just want to make certain that deep down you <em>are</em> okay with this.  I don’t want you feeling like you made a mistake, only to make yourself miserable later on.  I’m sorry if it came across as me not trusting your decision.”</p><p>Looking away shamefaced, Shuichi muttered, “No, Hiro.  You don’t have anything to be sorry for.  I’m at fault for just blowing up like that.  I know you meant well.  I’m sorry, Hiro.”  Violet eyes took in the scenes passing him by outside of the window.  “It’s just…New York has ghosts that I’ve been trying to fight for years now.  I’ve been trying to exorcise ghosts for a man who didn’t want either me or my help.”</p><p>Hiro and Suguru had nothing to say to that.  That was the only misgiving that Hiro had about their new home, knowing it held unpleasant memories for Shuichi.</p><p>New York City.  He was now in the place where Yuki’s demons and past lay like an unsettled graveyard.  Damn if that wasn’t ironic.  It was too bad that he didn’t care to laugh.  Leaning back against the headrest, he briefly closed his weary eyes.  He hoped that the meeting with Reiji, or Rage as she was known, would go well.  It was past time for him to be serious and prove to people back in Japan just what Bad Luck was made of.  He almost smirked as he imagined their expressions when news of their success reached Japan.  That alone was worth it to make him work his ass off like never before.</p><hr/><p>Nagatani Kanade and Masasane Deidara just stared at the humming woman in front of them, both slightly bewildered by her behavior.  Of course, having just gotten there themselves, they had no idea if this was normal behavior for their new boss, Reiji.  Kanade whispered behind her hand, “Um, Deidara…her stroking that poster is kind of freaking me out!  It’s like she’s having a religious experience over it.”</p><p>“That’s a picture of our new client, un.  From what Orochimaru-sama said, we’ll be the main photographers and media coordinators for XMR’s new group.  He’s their lead vocalist, Shindou Shuichi.  Guess Reiji-sama’s got the hots for him.”</p><p>With her face slightly twitching, Rage turned around to face her new employees.  “You do realize I <em>can</em> hear everything you’re saying.”  Nasu Orochimaru had sent over two of his best employees when she’d asked for a photographer and media coordinator for her new artists that had been signed to XMR’s label.  The only woman of the two, Nagatani Kanade was half-American, half-Japanese.  Her father had left before she was born, so her Japanese mother had raised her.  Masasane Deidara, who worked as both her assistant and as a media coordinator, was an only child who loved art.  It didn’t matter what he did, as long as he could work somewhere in the business.  Both were long-haired blonds, with Kanade’s hair a shade lighter.  The other difference was their eye color.  Deidara was blue-eyed while Kanade had light-brown eyes.  Rage knew the deciding factor for Kanade being in New York was personal issues.  A disastrous relationship in Japan had been her deciding factor in taking the job.  But it didn’t stop there.  From what Kanade had been told by her mother, her father was last known to have lived in New York.  She’d come here to not only take on a job, but to confront her past as well.  Kanade and Deidara worked well together.  There was no one else she’d trust as well.</p><p>“Please accept our apologies, Reiji-sama.  It was not our intent to offend you.”</p><p>A knock on the door interrupted their conversation as Bill, Rage’s assistant, poked his head in.  “Reiji-sama, I just wanted to let you know that Bad Luck has arrived.  Shall I show them in?”  At her nod, he left to retrieve the band.</p><p>“Well, you’ll soon meet your new clients.  Since you’re both from Japan as well, you should be familiar with their work.  And I’m fairly certain you’ve heard their back story as well.  I want it made clear that you are not to divulge anything to the paparazzi.  Is that clear?”  At their nods, she continued, “Their lead vocalist has just ended a tumultuous relationship with one of Japan’s leading novelists.  No doubt that is a sore subject to him.  I want his signing to XMR to be a clean break for him, so please don’t bring up his ex for any reason.”</p><p>“Yes, of course, Reiji-sama.  We will use the utmost discretion.  Having been through a similar experience to Shindou-san, I understand what you’re asking of us.”</p><p>“Good…I’m glad that you understand.”  The door opened to reveal their clients as Bill followed behind them.  “Welcome, Bad Luck, to XMR!  Let me start things off by saying how glad I am that you decided to sign to our label.  I am Reiji or as others call me, Rage.”</p><p>Six people along with Bill entered the room, three of the group easily identifiable as the members of Bad Luck.  They easily identified Shuichi from the poster that hung above Rage’s desk.  The tallest of the three was their guitarist, Nakano Hiroshi and the shorter was their keyboardist, Fujisaki Suguru.  Rage introduced the remaining three.  The tall, ponytailed blond was Winchester Claude, aka K.  The woman was introduced as Hiro’s girlfriend, Usami Ayaka.  The nervous-looking man wearing glasses was their producer, Sakano-san.</p><hr/><p>Shuichi didn’t know what to expect when he walked into Rage’s office.  He would have sworn that Sakano started sweating and babbling more profusely than normal the minute they stepped into XMR’s offices.  This, in itself, was a sign that should’ve tipped him off.  He honestly had to wonder how bad the woman could be.  Then he remembered how Sakano had always displayed nervous tendencies.  Maybe a sedative would be a good idea for him.  However, he was inclined to change his mind the moment he saw the large poster of himself staring back from behind Rage’s desk.  Given the situation, he didn’t know whether to twitch or run like hell.  The sound of muffled snickering coming from behind his back gave him K’s thoughts about the matter.  He obviously found it hilarious.  Shuichi really started to twitch then.  According to what he’d been told, Rage was about the same age he was.  Wearing glasses and having short brown hair, this clued him in on who to speak to.  Besides Rage, there were two other people waiting for them in the office.  One was a young woman who looked around his age and the other was an older male.  Giving his attention back to Rage, he waited for her to introduce the two.</p><p>“Shuichi, I’d like you to meet the woman who I requested to be the band’s personal photographer.  This is Nagatani Kanade.  Masasane Deidara is also your new media coordinator, as well as Kanade’s assistant when needed.  They have also relocated to New York from Japan.”</p><p>Shuichi nodded to himself.  Rage had assigned them their own personal photographer, huh?  Yes, he’d definitely made the right decision to leave NG.  Rage knew what it would take to raise their career to the next level.  And what was perhaps the most important fact, she cared.  She was unlike NG and its president, who had held their future hostage all because of pettiness.  Rage seemed infatuated with the band, or more to the point, him.  This could either be creepy or work to their advantage.  Shaking hands with the new members of his team, he welcomed them.  Peering closely at Kanade, he could see shuttered pain hidden in her eyes.  Although he was curious, it wasn’t his place to ask.  If she wanted to speak to him about it, she would.  Rage told them that they could spend the week getting to know each other before they’d start their promotional campaign for the band.</p><p>As they trickled out of the office to go to their new residence that Rage had rented for them, Shuichi found himself becoming more reassured that he’d made the right decision.  Holding the door open for Kanade, he entered the limo after her.  They were the only ones in the limo, with everyone else ahead of them in the other limos.  Glimpsing over at his companion, he finally asked, “So, Kanade, what brings you to New York?  Something’s telling me that it’s not entirely work-related.”</p><p>Her mouth setting itself into a thin line, she replied, “Personal issues, mostly.  Otherwise, I might not have decided to come here.  They were my concluding factor in my decision to leave Japan.”</p><p>Somehow, he sensed that she was in the same boat he was.  “Same here.  I’m guessing relationship issues, right?”  At her nod, he smiled sadly.  “Well, at least we have each other.  If you ever need a shoulder to cry on, I’m there for you.  But I don’t do so well as a drinking buddy.  I’m kind of a lightweight when it comes to liquor.”</p><p>That last comment made her laugh when he said it.  “Don’t worry.  I’m not looking to get drunk or anything.  I think I vented all of my anger before I left Japan.”</p><p>Placing his hands behind his head, he nodded as memories flashed before his eyes.  “Felt good, didn’t it?  I hope you made the jerk regret ever treating you like shit.”</p><p>“I didn’t hear anything from him before I left, so I guess he didn’t want anything to do with me.  My mother promised to keep me updated on what happens back home.  Although I had some great friends who would have supported me, I wanted this chance to get away.  I know you feel the same way, Shindou-san.”</p><p>Turning to face her, he placed a hand on Kanade’s shoulder.  “First things first, quit calling me “Shindou-san”.  It makes me feel old.  You don’t have to be stiff and formal with me!  Just plain Shuichi will do.”  Hearing her sudden laughter had him confused.  “Did I say something funny?”</p><p>Kanade stopped laughing as she wiped tears from the corners of her eyes.  “It’s not that, Shuichi.  You remind me of a good friend back in Japan.  His whole personality and outlook on life…you really remind me of those things.  Man, I’m missing Naruto already.”</p><p>“Well, I’m glad I remind you of your friend.  I’ll be here if you need me, so don’t worry.”  Shuichi absently noted the traffic as it flew by them.  New York was definitely an interesting place.  And it was his home now for however long he was with XMR Records.  Glancing back over at his companion, he took the time to really take in her appearance.  In his eyes, she was a beautiful woman.  Her ex had to be a complete ass to do what he had to her.  With her talent, looks, and personality she was a winner.  What more could a guy want in an ideal woman?  Well, not that he’d know since he’d only been attracted to Yuki, although there was that date Hiro had set him up on in high school.  He had a hunch he’d be learning what drove her to New York when she felt like talking about it.  It was the same with him.  The betrayal of their lovers was fresh in both of their minds, and talking about it just seemed to reopen the gaping wound.</p><p>The photographer smirked as he snapped more photos of the two in the limo.  He’d gotten some great shots as they were leaving XMR studios.  His client had promised a good amount of money for him to do this.  To make it even more lucrative, the man had told him the names of some tabloids in Japan that would wage war over his photos.  Although he’d never heard of him, he was assured that the man he was tailing was some big name in that country.  He stayed back, trying to remain unnoticed, as he saw the limo drop them off in front of a three-story townhouse in the Washington Heights area.  Training his camera on his targets once more, he commented to himself, “That’s it – give me the money shot, folks.”  The woman placed her hand on the man’s arm, smiling as she leaned in close to him.  The man was smiling in return as he placed his hand in hers.  The sound of the shutter clicking caught the moment and he knew he had the shot they’d salivate over.  Thanks to one Shindou Shuichi and Nagatani Kanade, he was a much wealthier man.</p><p>Shuichi stood looking at the building in front of him, his jaw almost hanging open as he took in its size.  This was their current living quarters?  He almost whistled in appreciation.  Once again, he had to hand it to Rage for finding such a nice place.  The three-story, brick townhouse was gorgeous.  Holding out his arm, he said, “Ready, milady?”</p><p>Snorting softly at Shuichi’s idiocy, Kanade looped her arm through his.  “Lead the way, Sir Shuichi.”</p><hr/><p>
  <em>So, we’ve now introduced our cross-over characters.  Of course, there will be flashback action as we delve into why Kanade decided to come to New York.</em>
</p><p><strong><span class="u">Chapter 5 Preview:</span></strong>  <em>As they settle into the townhouse, Kanade decides to tell Shuichi why she came here.  As her past is revealed, Shuichi finds that he can relate to her.  But what of the ones they left behind in Japan?  Will they just let them go without a fight?</em></p>
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